Pizza Antica is my favorite style of pizza: thin, almost cracker-like crust; the type of pie that when you pick it up each slice stands at attention. The boldly flavored toppings, fresh and judiciously applied, create a marvelous amalgamation of flavors.

Started by Gordon Drysdale five years ago, there are now four locations – San Jose, Mill Valley, Granite Bay (near Sacramento) and Lafayette – which is the place I’ve patronized on more than one occasion.

Size: 10-inch round and 16-inch oval ($8.75-$16.25).

Style: Roman

Oven: The Woodstone gas ovens fire the pizza at about 460 degrees for 3-7 minutes.

Crust: The rolled-out dough has only a mere indication of a lip where it browns and slightly blisters.

Pizza tried: The heirloom potatoes, thinly sliced and crisped around the edges from the fire, pave the dough along with Parmesan, Petit Basque and fontina cheeses, caramelized onion and white truffle oil. On another, the spicy Calabrese sausage is slathered with the tomato sauce, onions, pepper and parsley.

Other toppings: The menu lists 10 combinations such as grilled radicchio, goat cheese, pancetta and pesto, or three cheeses with caramelized onion, pancetta and shaved broccoli.

Additions: Customers have 20 different toppings such as portobello mushrooms, marinated chicken, arugula, salami and Gorgonzola.

Anything but pizza: While pizza is the advertised star, I’d drive to Lafayette just for the Brussels sprouts salad that includes warm leaves of the vegetable with bacon, hard-cooked eggs, croutons and vinaigrette.

Vitals: 3600 Mount Diablo Blvd., Lafayette; (925) 299-0500. Lunch, dinner daily. Takeout available.

Readers say:

A potato pizza? Yes, sounds silly … until you try it. I love that pizza, and I love that place.

– Sammay Wilson, Oakland

Pizza Antica in Lafayette pleases everyone in our family, whether pizzas, pastas or other dishes come to the table! The service is friendly and efficient, and the wine list is varied, interesting and reasonable. I agree about the Brussels sprouts salad! We go through the tunnel frequently to this restaurant.

They have a tendency to overcook their crust at Antica. Their pizza’s decent, but if I ever go back I’m going to have to be very specific about how I like it, and frankly, I don’t enjoy being that high maintenance when I go out to eat.

– Max Gerry, Martinez